Vehicle signal



Oct. 7, 1941. w ROM 2,258,069

VEHICLE S IGNAL Filed Nov. 25, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. W 11/. 01.- I

A TTORNEYS.

P. W. ROM

VEHICLE SIGNAL Oct. 7, 1941.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 25, 1958 IIII rozrmrs/ E Jill/f 010 INVENTOR.

6140 O I ATTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 7, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

The invention relates to vehicle signals. One of the objects of the invention is to provide a new and improved switch structure for controlling the signal lights which in addition to controlling the particular circuits desired also controls a means for intermittently energizing the circuit, said means being rendered operable when the switch is moved to signalling position and being cut off when the switch is moved to inoperative position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a signalling system in which the conventional lighting arrangement includes a pair of tail lights and stop lights at the rear of the vehicle, one of the sets of tail lights and stop lights being operable to indicate a turn while the other of the set remains normally lighted.

Another object of the invention is to provide a signalling system using the conventional four marker lights of the vehicle, two of which may be headlights in addition to the usual stop lights as turn signal lights, the signal being given by flashing the lights on one side of the vehicle while the other lights function in the usual manner.

A further object of the invention is to provide a signalling system in which the conventional lighting arrangement includes a pair of tail lights and stop lights at the rear of the vehicle, one of said pair of tail lights and stop lights being selectively operable to produce flashing lights, the set of flashing lights indicating the direction in which the vehicle is to be turned while the other of said sets of tail lights and stop lights remains normally lighted.

A further object of the invention is to provide a flasher switch means controlling a flasher switch audible tell tale associated with a directional switch mechanism, the audible tell tale to indicate the operation of the flasher switch means and to remind the operator to return the directional switch mechanism to non-indicating or normal position when the need for the turn signal has passed.

The invention further consists in the several features hereinafter set forth and more particularly defined by the claim.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a circuit arrangement embodying the invention, the circuit arrangement being in non-indicating position;

Fig. 2 is a detailed view of parts shown in Fig. 1, showing said parts in position for a left hand turn;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the parts in position for a right hand turn;

Fig. 4 is an elevation view of the switch mechanism embodying the invention;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a detailed sectionalview taken on the line 6--6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a detailed sectional view taken similar to Fig. 6 showing the parts in another position;

Fig. 8 is a detailed sectional view taken on the line 89 of Fig. 5, showing the parts in one position;

Fig. 9 is a detailed sectional view similar to Fig. 8 showing the parts in another position;

Fig. 10 is a detailed sectional view taken on the line Iii-40 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 11 is a front elevation view of the flasher switch and telltale signal mechanism, parts being broken away and parts being shown in section;

Fig. 12 is a side elevation View of the device shown in Fig. 11.

Referring to the drawings, the switch mechanism includes a frame i2 having blocks [3 of insulation secured thereto at the sides thereof and a back portion H provided with flanges i5 forming guides for a latch member iii of fiber or other suitable material slidably mounted therein, said latch member being normally urged downwardly by a spring IT.

The latch member [6 has a slot 29 therein that alternately engages catches or projections i8 and i9 on a member 20 mounted on a hollow shaft 2| and also provided with an arm 22 having a slot or opening 23 therein into which a pin 24 carried by a bar 25 projects.

The bar 25 is of suitable insulating material, and its ends are'slidably mounted in the blocks H. The slotted crank arm 22 acts on the pin 24 to convert the swinging motion of said arm into reciprocatory motion of said bar.

The crank arm 22 is normally retained in an inoperative position by means of a spring 26 which is connected at one end to said arm and at the other to a lug 21 on the upper end of the frame i2. The intermediate portion of the spring 26 works between two stops 28 which are here shown in the form of screws. Swinging of the arm 22 in one direction bends the spring 26 about one of the screws and stretches the-spring while swinging said arm in the opposite direction bends the spring 28 about the other of the screws and thus stretches it. The tensioned spring 26 acts to return the arm 22 from an inclined signalling position to an upright position. With this arrangement when the arm 22 is swung toward the left as shown in Fig. 7, the latch ll moves down so that its slot 20 engages the projection II, and when the arm 22 is swung toward the right, the latch ll moves down so that its slot 2! engages the praiection l0.

Theshaft 2| is provided with a manually operable arm 30 in the form of a pointer for moving the arm 22 to either of its inclined signalling positions. In order to release the arm 22 from its signalling position, a lever 3| has its free end mounted to move in the slot It and is adapted to engage the upper end of said slot so as to raise the latch II to a position above the projections It or II and thus allow the spring 2! to return the arm 22 to a normal or non-indicating position. pin I2 to arms 38 on the frame is and is moved to release position by a push rod 34 which has an upturned end 8! engaging an intermediate portion of the lever and extends through the hollow of the shaft 21 and carries a push button ll on its outer end, said rod I4 being normally moved to a release position by a spring I! interposed between the button ll and the end of the shaft 2|.

Thus swinging movement of the arm 30 to either the right or the left acts to move the bar 25 to a signalling position either to the right or the left, and in thisposition the parts are locked by the parts which are locked by the latch member ll until the operator on pressing inwardly on the rod 3i, operates the lever 3| to release the latch l6 and allow the spring 28 to return the arm 22, shaft 2|, and bar 25 to a non-indicating position.

Means are also provided for operating a flasher switch mechanism during the time the signal is being given, and for this purpose I preferably provide an air-operated motor is not shown in detail but of the type commonly employed for operating the windshield cleaner on an automobile from a suction connection with the intake manifold of the engine, this suction connection being controlled by valve mechanism operable from the latch mechanism and in the present instance comprising a cylindrical valve member 39 working in a bore 40 in a valve casing 4| which has a transverse passage 42 controlled by said valve, one end 43 of said passage being connected to said motor 38 and the other end 44 being connected to the intake manifold, said passage having a screw 45 extending into it for varying the area of said passage to vary the suction effect on said motor. The stem of the valve member 39 is mounted on the latch member I! and is surrounded by the spring II. With this arrangement when the arm 22 is in a signalling position, the latch member It is in a depressed position, and under these conditions the valve I! has been moved below the passage 42, and the air motor 38 is being operated through the suction connection with the intake manifold. Operation of the air motor causes oscillatory movement of its shaft 48 which carries an arm 41 which at one end has a flat spring bar clapper ll pivotally mounted The lever 2| is pivotally connected by a bar there is a contact ll inset in one side of the bar which connects or forms a part of spaced contacts N and II on opposite sides of the bar, and there are spaced angular contacts II and I! inset in the bar, one of the sides of these last named contacts being on the upper side of the bar while the other side of the contact II is on the same side as the contact-l1 and the other side of the contact '8 is on the same side as the contact II. Brushes or yieldable contact fingers ll, 0|, .2, and I engage the bar 2!, the finger ll engaging that side of the bar having the contact Bl thereon, the finger OI engaging that side having the contact I. thereon, the contact finger l2 engaging that side having the contact I! thereon, and the finger 63 eng n that side having parts of contacts Bl and SI thereon.

At the other end of the bar there is a contact 64 inset in one side of the bar which connects or forms a part of spaced contacts 05 and II on opposite sides of the bar, and there are spaced angular contacts I! and '8 inset in the bar, one of the sides of the last named contacts being on the upper side of the bar while the other side of the contact 61 is on the same side of the bar as the contact 65 and the other side of the contact 68 is on the same side as the contact IO. Brushesvor yieldable contact fingers it, 1., II. and I2 engage the bar 25, the contact finger ll engaging that side of the bar having the contact i4 thereon, the contact finger I0 engaging that thereon on a pin 48', and at its opposite end carside having the contact 8! thereon, the contact finger H engaging that side having the contact 86 thereon, and the contact 12 engaging the side of the bar having parts of the contacts 61 and II.

The brushes are connected in circuit with the lights of the lighting system of the vehicle as will now be described. The brush ll connects by conductor 13 with the right stop light II. The brush 62 connects by conductor 15 with the left stop light 16. The brush connects by conductor 11 including a stop light switch 1! with a conductor 19 leading to one side of a battery ll whose other side is grounded. The brush 61 connects by a conductor II with a conductor l2 which leads to the contact SI of the fiasher switch F.

The brush 10 connects by a conductor II with a right rear marker light 84 and by a branch conductor 85 with a right front marker or headlight 86 and a right telltale light 81. The brush ll connects by a conductor Us with a left rear marker light is and by a branch conductor II with a left front marker or headlight 9| and a left telltale 92. The brush 12 connects by a conductor 93 with the conductor 22 and the brush 69 connects by a conductor 94 with the conductor I9, said conductor 94 having the lighting switch 95 therein.

The lights 14, 16, 84, s1, l6, 8!, s2, and II each have one of their'terminals grounded.

The contacts 52 and 54 of the flasher switch are connected to the conductor 19, and the contact II is connected by the conductor 98 with the conductor 82.

With the above described arrangement, when the bar 25 is in its non-signalling position shown in Fig. 1, the contacts I and 82 are in contact with the contacts 5! and 81, respectively, and the contact ii is in contact with the contact II, and the contacts SI and M are in contact with the contacts H and 09, respectively. and the contact 6! is in contact with the contact 1.. Under these conditions if the lighting switch OI is on, the current will fiow from the battery ll to conductors 19 and 94 to contacts 69, 64, 65, and 66 and thus operate the lights 84, 81, 86, 89, 92, and 9|, and if the stop light switch 18 is on, the current will also flow through conductor 11 to contacts 55, 56, and 51 and thus operate the right and left stop lights. Thus the marker lights, at both sides of the vehicle and indicator lights will be lighted, and also both of the stop lights in case the stop light switch is depressed, usually through the actuation of the brake pedal.

If now the bar 25 is shifted to the right to indicate a left turn, the relation of the yielding contacts to the contacts on the bar will appear as shown in Fig. 2 in which the contacts 6| and 60 are still engaged with the contacts 56 and 55 so that the right stop light will be lighted constantly when the stop light switch 18 is on while the contacts 63 and 62 will engage the contact 58 so that the left stop light 16 will be intermittently lighted since the current for said light is then passing from the battery 80, conductor 19, flasher switch F including contacts 52, 53, and 54 to conductors 82 and 8|. At the same time the contacts 10 and 69 will be still engaged with the contacts 65 and 64 so that the right tail light 84, the right tell-tale lamp 81, and the right front marker or headlight 86 will be lighted constantly when the lighting switch 95 is on while the contacts 12 and 1| will engage the contact 68 so that the rear tail light 89, the left tell-tale light 92, and the left front marker or headlight 9| are intermittently lighted since the current for said lights is then passing from the battery 88 through the flasher switch F and conductor 82, as before, to conductor 12 and thence to the conductor 1|. Thus during a left turn the lights 16, 89, 92, and 9| at the left hand side of the vehicle will be flashing to indicate the turn while the light 14, if th stop light switch 18 is on, and the lights 84, 81, and 86 will be constantly lighted if the switch 95 is on for night driving. If neither the stop light switch 18 or the lighting switch 95 is on, both the stop light and tail light at the left side of the vehicle and the front light on the corresponding side will be operated to produce a flashing turn signal when the indicator switch is operated to signal a left turn.

If new the bar is shifted to the left to indicate a right turn, the relation of the yielding contacts to the contacts on the bar will appear as shown in Fig. 3 in which the contacts 62 and 88 are still engaged with the contacts 51 and 55 so that the left stop light 16 will be lighted constantly when the stop light switch 18 is on while the contacts 63 and 6| will engage the contact 59 so that the right stop light 14 will be intermittently lighted since the current for said light is then passing from the battery 88, conductor 19, flasher switch F including contacts 5|, 52, 53, and 54 to conductors 82 and 8|. At the same time the contacts 1| and 69 will be still engaged with the contacts 66 and 64 so that the left hand lights 89,92, and 9| will be constantly lighted while the engagement of contacts 12 and 16 with the contact 61 will bring the intermittent flashing current from the conductor 82 to conductor 93, contacts 12, 61, and 18 to conductors 83 and 85 causing the right hand lights 84, 81, and 86 to be intermittently lighted. Thus during a right turn the lights 14, 84, 81, and 86 will be intermittently lighted to indicate the turn while the light 16, if the stop light switch 18 is on, and lights 89, 92, and 9| will be constantly lighted if the switch 95 is on for night driving. If neither the stop light switch 18 or the lighting switch 95 is on, both the stop light and tail light at the right side of the vehicle and the front light on the corresponding side will be operated to produce a flashing turn signal when the indicator switch is operated to signal a right turn.

It is also to be noted that the circuit connections to the lights provide a direct connection from the battery through the direction indicator switch to one set of lights while another parallel connection includes the flasher switch mechanism and the direction indicator switch to the other set of lights.

While the contacts 60, 62, 63, 69, 1|, and 12 have not been shown in detail, it will be understood that they are similar to the contacts 6| and 18 herein shown.

It is also to be noted that during the time the turn signal is being given, the valve 39 has been opened to cause the motor 38 to operate the flasher switch and at the same time oscillate the bell clapper 48 causing it to strike the bell housing 91, it being noted that a projection 98 in the housing engages the clapper 48 as its upper end moves past top center and thus causes said clapper to snap past said projection and strike the bell housing a sharp blow, thus giving an audible signal.

I desire it to be understood that this invention is not to be limited to any particular form or arrangement of parts except in so far as such limitations are included in the claim.

What I claim as my invention is:

In a vehicle signalling system, the combination of one set of lights at the front of the vehicle and at each side thereof, and two sets of lights at the rear of the vehicle, one light of each last mentioned set being at each side thereof and one set of said last named lights being stop lights, a source of current for said lights, a directional switch having three selectable parallel circuit connections with said source of current, one of said parallel circuit connections including a control switch normally controlling the flow of current from said source to both lights at the front of the vehicle and one set of lights at the rear of the vehicle simultaneously, the second of said parallel circuits including a stop light switch normally controlling the flow of current from said source to both of said stop lights simultaneously, the third of said parallel circuits including a flasher switch connecting said source of current with said directional switch and selectively connectable thereby to the lights on either side of the vehicle to indicate a turn by intermittently energizing the lights so connected while the lights on the other side of the vehicle are constantly lighted if said control switch and stop 

